


Home for the Holidays

by ShootingStar13



Series: WinterPrincess Week Christmas Edition 2018 [1]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Homecoming, Original Character(s), Original Child Character(s) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 08:57:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17179901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShootingStar13/pseuds/ShootingStar13
Summary: It's Christmas and Bucky is unable to come home from deployment for the holidays, or so Shuri thinks.





	Home for the Holidays

Shuri slowly tosses onto her side, her arm reaching out for the body that’s not laying down beside her, and she mutters to herself in her native tongue as she hears the sound of little footsteps racing across the hardwood floors of the hallway.

Shuri smiles, her eyes still closed as she pretends to still be asleep and waits for those little footsteps to make their way into her bedroom.

The door swings open as her oldest runs into the room, bounding up onto the queen sized bed, bouncing up and down on the mattress to make as much ruckus as possible.

“Mama! Mama! Mama!” Iwobi shouts, almost breathless from excitement. “Wake up! Santa came last night, and he brought us so many presents!”

Shuri chuckles to herself and continues her sleeping ruse just to do what mothers do best, annoy their children.

“Mama! Wake up!” Little Kalani shouts from the floor, her short legs keeping her from being able to climb up onto her bed with her brother.

Shuri fakes a low snoring sound from nose which causes both kids to groan.

“Mama!” They both yell louder than before. “Wake up!”

“Alright, alright.” Shuri says as she sits up in bed. “You know the drill, to your stations!.” She says, and her children then begin their scramble into the living room. Iwobi almost tripping over his own feet as he runs into the living room where the Christmas tree is.

Shuri shakes her head as she slowly follows after them smiling despite herself.

Shuri picks up her robe from the hanger on the door of the bathroom as she passes by it in the hallway and busies herself by tying the strings of her pink robe into a bow across her waist, listening to her children’s slightly impatient bickering from the living room. Both children shout at her to hurry up, adding a quiet please a few short seconds afterwards in order to not get scolded for being rude later. But Shuri doesn’t mind it honestly, she knows that they’re excited and that their young brains are only focused on getting new toys and eating Christmas breakfast afterwards to care about remembering their manners.  

Kalani is the first to sit down in front of the stacks of red, gold, and green wrapped boxes. Her bright blue-gray eyes shimmering in the glow of the lights on the Christmas tree. And Iwobi is far too excited to sit still like his sister is, instead he’s busy bouncing on the balls of his feet, arms eagerly reaching out for the first present he sees with his name written on it in fancy cursive letters that Shuri mastered to looks as Christmas-y and whimsical as possible.

Shuri tells her children to settle down so she can pass out the gifts she discretely set out underneath the tree last night while they were asleep. Her eyes scan the neatly wrapped Christmas presents, trying to figure out which one she should hand to her children first. She splurged a little bit this year since it would be the first Christmas since Kalani was born that they would celebrating Christmas without Bucky.

Shuri’s heart clenches at the thought.

Bucky is usually away for deployment for about 12 months every two years and he always tries his hardest to be home for Christmas, but this year his stay was extended. He was supposed to be home last month on Thanksgiving, but he had called that night to tell Shuri that he’d be stationed longer, two whole months longer than expected. Bucky would be home by mid-January and so he would be in Kuwait for Christmas this year.

Shuri frowns, knowing and hoping that she’d be getting a call soon from Bucky to wish them all a Merry Christmas from Kuwait, but she won’t get her hopes up. She knows how busy and unexpected his job can be. She also knows how dangerous it can be.

She swallows down the last bit of sadness and puts on a brave face for her kids, who are equally missing Bucky. But they’re still young, Iwobi’s only six and Kalani is three, meaning that, for now, all they are focused on are Christmas presents and not the absence of their father.

Shuri settles down in front of the tree and reaches over to grab one of the gifts from under the tree. She hands the box to Iwobi, who is practically shaking from excitement. She cautions her overeager son to wait to unwrap his gift as she hands a present to Kalani, who’s eyes shine in equal amazement at the gift in her hands.

“Alright, go ahead and open them!” Shuri encourages. Iwobi rips the paper off messily, leaving a pile of wrapping paper on the carpet for the cats to sniff out and eventually run off with. Kalani is much more graceful as she carefully tears the wrapping paper along the creases where the tape is, keeping the paper in tact and not in a messy pile like her older brother had done.

Iwobi’s eyes bug out of skull as he marvels at the eight by eight sided Rubix cube in his hands.

“Whoa, thanks Santa!” Iwobi exclaims happily, causing Shuri to smile as well. Iwobi sets the plastic encased cube to the side, eagerly waiting to open another present.

Kalani finally finishes unwrapping her first gift and beams at the packaged Barbie doll in her hands. It had taken Shuri a rather extensive search online to find the right doll with Afro-features for her daughter and she’s happy that Kalani is happy with the gift.

Shuri continues passing gifts to her kids, they unwrapped three more presents each before the pile of presents decreased a bit, and then her eyes fell onto a present that she doesn’t recognize. The present is a small box, wrapped in shiny blue paper with glittery silver and gold bells as decoration. It has a little silver bow on top and Shuri grabs the present, eyeballing it intensely.

All the presents she wrapped are in green, red, and gold paper with different decorations on them, snowflakes on the red paper, cute little reindeer and mini Santas on the green paper, and mistletoe and holly on the gold paper. She would know if she used another type of paper for wrapping. She also bought all the presents and this one is not familiar to her at all.

“Mama, that one has your name on it.” Iwobi points out as he is already opening the cardboard box of the large Lego set he unwrapped earlier.

“But I wasn’t expecting any presents from Santa.” She says.

“Maybe it’s for another girl named Shuri?” Kalani suggests. “Santa’s got a lot of people to give gifts to, maybe it fell out of his sack.”

Shuri laughs at her daughter’s innocent suggestion and carefully tears open the wrapping paper, curious to know what’s inside.

It’s a black velvet box and Shuri can only assume it’s jewelry, but from who?

Shuri opens the box, it making a deep popping sound as she does. Inside is a beautiful silver necklace with a teardrop shaped sapphire pendant surrounded by twinkling white diamonds.

“Wow.” Iwobi and Kalani say in awe.

“It is very pretty isn’t it?” Shuri says.

“Oh! Mama, turn the box over, there’s a paper attached.” Iwobi says, pointing out the very obvious piece of paper taped to the bottom of the black velvet box. Shuri rips the paper off the box and opens the note.

_Sorry I almost couldn’t spend Christmas at home._

_So, go into the kitchen for another surprise._

_-Bucky_

Shuri quickly jumps to her feet and rushes towards the kitchen, she stops quickly, her socks nearly sliding on the tile floors, and in front of her, sitting at the kitchen table, is Bucky.

“You’re home!” She cries as Bucky stands up with arms outstretched.

“Yeah, thought I’d surprise you.” Bucky says bashfully.

Shuri hurries and rushes to tackle him in a hug. Bucky laughs, lifting her into his arms and hugging her back.

Shuri’s face is being smushed against Bucky’s neck, but she can still hear the kids as they run into the kitchen after her. But their curiosity is long gone as soon as they realize who’s home.

“Daddy!” They yell and rush to join in the hug.

Shuri cries softly into Bucky’s shoulder and can hear Iwobi and Kalani crying along with her from their place wrapped around Bucky’s legs. Bucky’s keeping himself composed, she can tell, by the tightness in his tone as he gently shushes their louder cries.

Shuri doesn’t want to let go of Bucky just yet, but she does so the kids could get closer and hug Bucky properly. Bucky laughs when Shuri hops down and helps him lift both kids into his arms, smothering them both in kisses.

“You’re home!” Iwobi exclaims, half in question and half in astonishment.

“Yeah, I’m home kiddo.” Bucky says smacking a final kiss on the boy’s cheek. Bucky turns his gaze towards Shuri and adds, “I pulled some strings to get home in time for Christmas.”

“Daddy! Daddy!” Kalani cries, wanting his attention to be turned towards her. “Santa got me and ‘Wobi some cool presents, but we still got a lot more left to unwrap!” Kalani says, bouncing in her father’s arms.

“Guess that means you two have been really good this year huh? Bet you’re on the top of Santa’s Nice List too.” Bucky says with pride, despite practically knowing that Shuri specifically went out of her way to spoil them this year.

“You think?” Iwobi asks wide-eyed wiggling in Bucky’s arm as an indicator in wanting to be put down.

“Oh definitely,” Bucky says as he sets the two back down on the floor. “Now, lets go finish unwrapping those presents huh?” Bucky asks, and the kids nod happily, eager to hurry back in the living room. Shuri stays behind with Bucky and Bucky pulls her in by her waist, pressing a kiss to her tear stained cheek as they walk behind their kids, following them back into the living room.

“I missed you.” Shuri says, stopping herself from crying again.

“Missed you too.” Bucky responds. “Missed you and our beautiful babies.” He says with tears in his eyes.

“What strings did you pull to leave early?” Shuri asks curiously.

“Retired.” Bucky tells her. “Fifteen years total and five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan got me thinking, I don’t need the army to fall back on anymore since I have you and the kids now.”

Shuri wants to say something, about how he doesn’t have to retire for them, but deep down she’s happy that he did.

Bucky being home this Christmas when he wasn’t supposed to this year is the best Christmas present she could ask for. But Bucky being home permanently for all the future Christmases they’ll have together is no less a Christmas miracle.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoyed my contribution to Winterprincess Christmas week! 
> 
> Iwobi and Kalani are my original characters and I have zero knowledge of military tours and retirement so take that with a grain of salt.


End file.
